Bird Gods in Ancient Europe 



" I care nothing for the Colosseum and its 

 history, my small friend," said I, "but much 

 for that creature screaming up there ! What 

 is it?" 



" O — that ? That is only a bruto uccello, 

 cattivo ! an ugly bad bird that comes to people 

 when they are sick and tells them they must 

 die!" 



Passing through the streets of Rome next 

 day I came upon a seller of owls — poor little 

 fellows fastened securely to the top of a pole by 

 one foot. Every now and then one would fall 

 from the top and flutter helplessly, hanging by 

 the leg. In such guise they are in demand as 

 lures for small birds, which hate them so bit- 

 terly that as soon as they catch sight of them 

 they are readily inveigled into traps or on to 

 limed twigs. Otherwise owls are kept like 

 cats or tortoises to free gardens from small 

 vermin. 



The owl as an evil omen and the owl as 

 a lure, these are the two phases under which a 

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